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For the past 8 years, I’ve covered all things shopping. My work’s been published by Hearst, PureWow, and Bauer Media Group. I’m a Brooklyn-born Jersey Girl (with a BA in English from Montclair State University) who loves a good playlist, a good bagel, and my family (but not necessarily in that order).
If you’re hosting during the holidays in a small space, now is the perfect time to upgrade your setup — especially if your guest plan involves a too-soft futon or an air mattress that never stays fully inflated. Koala, the brand known for its super-comfy sofa beds, just kicked off its Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale, offering up to 30% off sitewide through December 3.
The brand’s lineup is packed with smart, stylish pieces made for compact homes. From space-saving sofa beds with built-in storage to modular sofas that can shift to fit your layout, every option is designed to make last-minute hosting easier, cozier, and a whole lot more comfortable for overnight guests. Shop the sale now and be ready for when those December holidays strike.
My first real job was at Carvel, not far from where the original location opened in 1936. The crown jewel of our menu was the soft-serve ice cream, which was produced by a machine so massive, I stood up on my tiptoes while on a stepladder to pour in the chocolate and vanilla mixtures at the start of most shifts. If it hadn’t been used in a little bit, the machine roared to life when I pulled a lever, and I’d need to wait for just the right consistency before I could create an ice cream cone swirl worthy of Instagram (even though Instagram was still a few years away).
In the time since I was last behind the ice cream shop counter, the market has exploded with petite at-home ice cream machines that promise to produce the perfect soft-serve with little effort. One of the newer appliances I’ve seen, the Greenpan Frost can make soft-serve ice cream from room-temperature ingredients in as little as 15 minutes, while other popular machines require ingredients to be frozen 24 hours ahead of time. And if you’re curious to try, you can currently save $100 on the Greenpan Frost ice cream maker and slushie machine in all four colors during Amazon’s Black Friday Week, including the Amazon-exclusive Strawberry Pink. This Black Friday deal puts the machine at its lowest price ever for the next few days.
The Greenpan Frost is a machine that creates frozen drinks and treats right in front of your eyes — and you don’t have to pre-freeze your ingredients. It can produce soft-serve ice cream and frozen yogurt, sherbet and sorbet, slushies and smoothies, and frosé and frozen cocktails, among other concoctions in case that isn’t enough for you. The relatively compact machine, slightly bigger than a KitchenAid stand mixer but about the same weight, is equipped with a powerful compressor that rapidly chills its contents, a 4-pint mixing bowl, and a texture dial to control the consistency.
It comes with a recipe pamphlet to get you started, but the real fun comes when you start creating your own treats that are exactly to your liking. Other useful things to know? It operates quietly, it has a self-cleaning mode and dishwasher-safe parts, and its dispensing handle allows you to create that perfect soft-serve swirl. It’s a great gift for families and party hosts, not to mention anyone who can’t resist a trendy kitchen appliance.
Thinking about grabbing this Amazon deal? Don’t wait: This Greenpan Frost discount is set to expire when Cyber Monday does, but it’s not guaranteed to stay in stock until then.
Buy: Greenpan Frost Ice Cream Maker & Slushie Machine, $299.99 (normally $399.99)
Why does it seem like appliances always break in groups? One minute everything is fine, and the next your dishwasher starts acting up, your fridge is making a noise it definitely didn’t make before, and suddenly you’re Googling “is my oven supposed to smell like that?” When it rains, it pours — and replacing major appliances can get expensive fast. The good news is that this weekend is a genuinely great time to jump on deals for big upgrades and big savings. We found a ton of amazing discounts on ovens, fridges, dishwashers, and more, all happening at AJ Madison for Black Friday. Scroll down to shop our recommendations.
Estate sales, yard sales, and antique shops were regular weekend destinations for my brother and me as kids. My parents, always on the hunt for period-appropriate decor for our Staten Island 19th-century house, made sure of it. Since then, I’ve had a love for home design and…read more